The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for inspecting operations of constituents of a system including a plurality of machines in which the machines are started after successive confirmation of fulfilment of a plurality of driving conditions.
Main machines, such as pumps of water supply plants or sewerage plants, alternators for use in power stations, and the like, have various auxiliary machines. The starting up of such main machine is effected only after the confirmation of fulfilment of a plurality of starting conditions including the safe operations of the auxiliary machines.
In a system incorporating such a main machine, a daily inspection is necessary to confirm the safe operation of the main machine including the auxiliary machines. In such daily inspection (one inspection within every unit time), the main machine is actually started for the purpose of inspection after successive confirmations of fulfilments of a plurality of starting conditions including the safe operations of the auxiliary machines.
According to a conventional method of daily inspection, the inspection is suspended when one of the starting conditions fails to occur and the cause of the failure is investigated. The inspection proceeds to the next step only after the clarification and removal of the cause of the failure. This inspection process does not cause any substantial problem when only one of the starting conditions has failed. However, when more than two starting conditions have failed, it is necessary to take numerous steps such as finding out of the failure of one starting condition, investigation and removal of the cause of the failure, commencement of the daily inspection, finding the failure of another starting condition, investigation and removal of the cause of the failure and the commencement of the daily inspection. This work is considerably troublesome and time consuming, particularly when the central control room where the daily inspection is made is located at a distance from the main machine including the auxiliary machines, because in such a case the operator or the inspector has to go back and forth between the control room and the machine.